Signaling system



July 23, 1935.

D. FATOR .sIGNALING SYSTEM Filed NOV. 28, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 NVENmR.BY @LWQA .oi-ZE; y HTTORNEY.

Patented July 23, i935; I

PATENT orricr SIGNAHNG SYSTEM Charles D.. Fator, Wheeler Field,Honolulu,

llerritory of Hawaii Application November 28, 1931, Serial No. 577,761

5 Claims. (Cl. 177-3111.)

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended' April 30,. `11.928; 370 (l. G. 757) The invention describedherein may be manudevices contained in the electrical circuits. Onefactured and used by or for the Governmentl for of the improvedcontacting devices being mounted governmental purposes, Without thepayment to on the control stick of the aircraft While other me of anyroyalty thereon. contacting devices are mounted on the rudderv 5, Thisinvention relates to an improved signalcontrol pedals thereof. Thecontacting device on 5 ing system to be employed on vehicles fordeterthe control stick when gripped by apredetermined 4mining theintensity under which the driver excessive pressure by the hand in thecase when thereof operates the vehicle and more particua student pilotor driver is over-tense causes one larly it is directed to a signalingsystem of this of the circuits to be closed and operate a grip lcharacter for use on aircraft. indicating device. Each rudder controlpedal of 10 One of the objects of this invention is to prothe aircraftcontains one of my improved rudder vide a signaling system for use onall manner of control contacting devices Which are operated for aircraftfor indicating to an instructor the inclosing another circuit when bothpedals are optensity under which a student pilot operates the eratedwith too great a pressure for operating a l aircraft thereby aiding theinstructor in coaching rudder control indicating device When the student15 the student pilot to relax on the controls of the pilot exerts a moreor less predetermined excesaircraft and overcome the tendency to operatethe sive pressure with his feet on the rudder control controls Withover-tenseness which prevents him pedals thereby immediately indicatingto an infrom learning the feel of the controls. l structor that thestudent is tensed-up and exf'o Another object of this invention is toprovide erting too great a pressure on the rudder control 90 a signalingsystem for aircraft comprising elecpedals. trical circuits havingindicators and improved With the above and other objects and advanmeanscontained inthe electrical circuits for clostages in view the inventionspecifically consists ing said circuits and operating the indicators infeatures of construction, arrangement, and

when a predetermined excessive pressure is apoperation of parts whichwill hereinafter appear. 25 plied by a student pilot to the controls ofthe For purposes of illustration the invention will be aircraft.described and claimed with reference to the ac- In the aviation serviceover-tenseness is a secompanying drawings in which like numbers disriousfactor in the training of student pilots in tinguish like parts and inWhich 3o operating the aircraft becausein order thata stu- Fig. 1 is adiagrammatic View of circuits and 30 dent pilot of aircraft may becomesuccessful in apparatus embodying this invention applied on theoperation thereof he must learn to relax on an aircraft. the controls,that is, to use his muscles naturally Fig. 2 is an enlarged' verticalcross-sectional and avoid over-straining and not take a death view of myimproved electric contact gripping grip on the controls Which usually isthe case of device applied to the control stick of aman- 35 thebeginner. This is usually quite diflicult for craft. the beginner as hemust be reminded quite often Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional View thereoftaken to relax. lThe sooner the student masters the art on line 3 3 ofrFig. 2. I of relaxing the sooner he learns the feel of the Fig. 4 is across-sectional View of a modified controls necessary to learn to fly.Only excessive form of contact gripping mechanism. 40 over-tenseness canbe readily noticed by the in- Fig. 5 is an enlarged verticalcross-sectional structor in the student so when lthe student is View ofmy improved rudder control contacting only slightly tensed-up he mayplod along for device and rudder control pedal to which `the some time,gradually lagging behind the other contacting device is applied.

student pilots on account of the handicap of his Fig. l6 is across-sectional View of the rudder 45 tenseness. control pedal and myimproved electric contact- Another fault oi the beginner is to bearheavily ing device taken online 6-6 of Fig. 5 on the rudder controlpedals with both feet.: This Fig. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional Viewof a naturally precludes the -possibility of the student modified formof my improved electric contactpilot ever developing the feel of therudder conting device applied to a rudder control pedal. 50 trols. iFig. 8 is a cross-sectional view thereof taken It is therefore the aimand purpose of this inon line 8 8 of Fig. 7. vention to provide animproved signaling system Fig. 9 is a front plan viewof the ruddercontrol for aircraft comprising electrical circuits, impedals of anairplane equipped with. my improved electric contacting devices andindicating proved contacting devices. 55

lTED

Fig. 10 is an` enlarged front elevation of a. housing for the'indicatorsused in carrying out the invention.

Fig. 1l is a cross-sectional view takenon line II-II of Fig. l0.'

Fig. 12Y is a diagrammatic view of the electric circuit for the ruddercontrol pedal contacting devices illustrating the open condition of theelectric circuit when the contacting devices are in normal position.

Fig. 13 is a diagrammatic view of the electric circuit for the controlpedal contacting devices illustrating the condition of the circuit whenan excessive pressure has been applied'to one of the rudder controlpedals of aircraft containing my improved contacting device.

In carrying out my invention I use an electric signaling control systemgenerally indicated by A comprising electric circuits which are fed by ahigh D. C. potential source* I which is shown as a battery but any othersuitable source may be employed such as a small generator. One end ofthe source l which for the purpose of illustration will be designatedthe positive side thereof is directly connected by conductor 2 to myimproved contact gripping device 3 which is suitably connected to theupper end of the control stick 4 in the cockpit C of the student pilotof the aircraft B. The other side of the contact gripping device 3 isconnected by conductor 5 to one side of a gripping indicator 6 in thecockpitv D for the instructor. The grip indicator 6 in the presentinstance is shown as a lamp but any other suitable visual or audibleindicating device'may A be employed. The other side of the gripindicator 6 is connected to the other end of source I. The positive sideof source I is also connected to one side of the contacting device 1 ofmy improved rudder control contacting devices 1 and 'Ia which willhereinafter be described more in detail. The other side of the ruddercontrol contacting device 1 is connected to one side of the otherimproved rudder control contacting device 1a.. The other side of therudder control contact device 'la is connected by the conductor 8 to oneside of my rudder control indicating de.- vice `9 adjacent the gripindicating device 6 for the instructor. The other side of the indicatingdevice 9 is connected to the negative side of the source I through the"negative side of the grip indicating device 6.

To provide similar electric contact gripping and rudder controlindicating devices for the student pilot the negative side of thesourcel is directly connected to one side of the control switch I0 inthe instructors compartment D by conductor II, the other side of whichis directly connected to one side of a contact gripping device.

I2 and to one side of a rudder control indicating device I3 in thestudents compartment B. The other side of the rudder control indicatingdevice I3 is connected to conductor 8. The switch Il) in the instructorscompartment when thrown in thus connects the signaling devices I and I3of the student in parallel with those in the instructors compartment sothat'the student as well as the instructor may see when the student ispressing on the controls too hard.

The contact gripping device 3 which I use for' closing the circuits foroperating the grip indicators 6 and I2 of the instructor and studentpilot Arespectively when a predetermined excessive pressure is appliedto the gripping device 3 by the hand of the student pilot is illustratedin Figs. 2, 3, and 4 of the drawings and comprises a. longitudinallyextending cylindrical casing I4 having transverse aligned apertures I5intermediate the ends thereof in which the plunger buttons I6 aremovably mounted. These plunger buttons I6 are made of any suitableinsulating material such as porcelain or hard rubber. Near the lower endof the casing I4 and in the interior thereof is a cylindrical plug -I'I`made of any suitable insulating material such asy bakelite which isrigidly connected to the casing I4 by any suitable means such as byscrew I8. The plug I1 is provided for holding the lower ends I9 orresilient contacting member `20 and insulating the same from each other,the free ends of the contact members 20 project longitudinally upward inthe cylindrical casing I4 and terminate in inwardly bent ends 2I toprovide contact points for the resilient contact members 20. The upperend of the casing I4 is closed by a removable cap 22 made of anydesirable material such as Wood which is connected to the casing I9 byany suitable means such as by screw 23.

Mounted on the exterior of the casing I4 are metallic spring arms 24which lie adjacent the outer ends of the plunger buttons I6. Thesespring arms 24 are shaped to correspond to the general form of thecasing i4 and have their upper ends rigidly secured to the upperend ofcasing I4 while at their lower ends they are free to slide up and downon the casing I4 when the gripping device 3 is gripped and operated bythe hand. Surrounding the Whole grip assembly is a cover 25 made of anysuitable material such as live springy rubber. Connected to the lowerend of the resilient contacting members 20 are ends of electricconductors 2 and 5 of the circuit in which the gripping device 3 isinserted.

A modification of the. contact gripping device 3 illustrated in Fig. 4of the drawings is simi-- lar to the one illustrated in Fig. 2 thereofand described above except a trio of push buttons I6a together withresilient contact members 20a and spring arms 24a. are used which areequally spaced around the cylindrical casing I4a having the aperturesI5a in which the push buttons IBa are mounted. One of the resilientcontact members 20a is electrically neutral and insulated from the othertwo contact members 20a. Said neutral contact 20a conta/cts with the'other contacts 20a to complete the circuit between them, this gives amore uniform result than the device shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of thedrawings because of the increased number of contacts. All three buttonsI6a if pressed in closes the circuit as would be the case when thegripping device 3a was gripped abnormally for operating the proper gripindicating device in that circuit.

To install my contact gripping device 3 on the control stick ofanaircreft as an accessory, the old gripping portion would be sawed offjust below the grip and my improved contact gripping device inserted andbolted or riveted thereon. For initial' installation the gripping device3 could be made as part of the stick, in which case the conductorstherefor of the signaling circuit would pass down through the stick andout at the bottom instead of out above the point of attachment as shownin Fig. 2 of the drawings which illustrate the gripping device 3 usedfor accessary installation.

My improved electric rudder control contact ing devices 1 and 1a which Iemploy in the electric system for causing the rudder control indicators9 of the instructor and the indicator I3 of the student pilot to beoperated when a predetermined excessive pressure is applied to therudder control pedals of the aircraft is illustrated in Figs. and 6 ofthe drawings and comprises a casing 29 made preferably of hard rubberhaving side walls 30 and an integral top portion 3| containing acentrally located opening 32 in which a plunger button 33 of insulatingmaterial is movably mounted. The top portion 3| of the casing 29 lisalso provided with a circumferential cut-out portion 34 providing ashoulder 35. A circumferential groove 3S is formed within the side walls30 of the casing 29 adjacent the top portion 3| thereof. Imbedded withinthe casing 29 is a, metallic bushing 31 having a flared upper end 33which is positioned within the internally formed groove 36 of the casing29 and having an internally threaded end 39 to which a plunger screw 40having 'a screw driver slot is threadedly connected. A coil spring 42 ispositioned within the bushing 31 the outer ends of which are adapted toabut against the plunger button 33 and screw 40. The plunger screw 40 isadapted to adjust the tension of the spring 42 and normally hold theplunger button 33 in an upward position and permit the same to be pushedinwardly against the tension of the spring for operating the contactingdevice.

On each side of the casing 29 are electrical terminal plates 43 havingflared `upper ends 44 and 44a which abut against a shoulder 35 ofy thecasing 29. These terminal plates 43 extend downwardly to the beveled end45 of the casing 29. One end of a spring contacting arm 41 is embeddedin the upper end of one of the terminal plates 43 which is provided witha recess for allowing free movement of the spring at the bend thereof.Surrounding the contacting assembly f is a bushing member 48 having aflared upper end 49 and an externally threaded contacting end 50 whichis adapted to be-inserted in an opening formed in the rudder controlpedal 5|, the shoulder 52 of the bushing 48vresting against the uppersurface of the pedal 5| and held in place thereon by the lock nut 53.The lower end of the bushing member 48 terminates just short of thelower end of the terminal plates 43 to which the ends or electricconductors are connected. Mounted on the assembly is a dome shaped cap54 made of suitable resilient material having the edges thereof bentunder and inwardly to slidably lock under the flared upper end 49 of theupper end of the bushing member 48. A piece of insulating material 55 isprovidedwhich may be suitablyconnected to the cap 54 as shown or to thespring contacting arm 41 for aiding the cap 54 in pressing the arm 41inwardly against the push button 33 for causing the free end of thespring arm 41 to electrically Contact with the upper end 43a of vtheother terminal plate 43. The spring 42 normally holding the push button33 against the contact arm 41 to hold it in an inoperative position.

'A modification of the rudder control electric contacting device isillustrated in Figs. '1 and 8 of the drawings, this modification has nospring adjustment as the tension of the spring is fixed. It comprises ametallic spring casing 51 which is bent upon itself to form upper andlower portions 58 and 59 respectively. The lower portion 59 forms thebase of the device and is shaped to t the contour of the face of therudder control pedal 5 IA, the upper portion 58 thereof is shaped asshown in the drawings. The free ends of the casing 51 being separatedfrom each other to provideY xa gap for permitting spring movementthereof. The casing 5l is of the proper weight to bend with a pressureslightly more than the normal weight of the leg and foot, the upperportion 58 thereof bending only when a predetermined excessive pressureis applied thereto by the foot. An electric contact point 69 is providedon the lower surface of the upper portion 58 intermediate the endsthereof. Longitudinally positioned within the spring casing 51 is aspring arm 6| having its outer end projecting out through a commonopening formed in side flange 62 of the pedal and attached to theoutside of the control pedal 5|A by means of a common bolt 93. On theinner end of arm 6| and on the upper surface thereof adjacent thecontact point 69 is a contact point 64. spring arm 5| is insulated fromthe lower portion 59 of the casing 51 by means of a parallel arm G5'madeof any suitable insulating material. The outer end of arm 65 is alsobent upwardly and connected to the bolt 63. To protect and insulate thecontact mechanism the whole assembly is covered by a sleeve of suitableinsulating material 56 which conforms to the shape of the spring casing51 having its outer end bent upwardly to connect with the bolt 63.Connected to the outer end of the lower portion 59 of the casing 51 andto the outer end of the spring arm 6| are electric conductors of theelectrical system used in carrying out the invention.

It will readily be seen from the above description of the contactingdevice by any one skilled in the art that when a predetermined excessivepressure is applied to the spring casing 51 by the foot of the studentpilot that the upper portion 68 thereof will bend downwardly and causethe electric contact point 60 thereof to come in con'- tact with theelectric contact point 64 provided on 'trated in Figs. l0 and 11' of thedrawings. 'Ihe shallow box`61 may be mounted on the instrument board ofthe instructor.

A similar box may also be used for inclosing the .indicators I2 and |3of the student pilot which may be mounted on any suitable place of theaircraft wliere it will be in line of the vision of the student such ason the cowling thereof.

The indicating devices may consist of lamps as illustrated and may be ofdifferent colors to indicate to the instructor or student whether therudder control pedals have been operated with too great a pressure orthe control stick gripped too hard. Besides the different colored lampsan index 69 may be placed below the lamps, so that when the lamps areoperated there will be no mistake about which signal has been operated.

It will thus be seen that this invention provides a highly novel, simpleand efficient form of signaling system that is Well adapted for all thepurposes designated. Even though there is herein shown and described myinvention as comprising certain features of construction, arrangement,and operation it is nevertheless to be understood that changes may bemade therein without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention,which broadly comprises an electrical system for indicating excesspressure on the controls of airplanes by students; including a pressurecontrol switch on the hand control of said aircraft and pressure controlswitches on the pedal controls thereof, a source of electric potentialconnected to said switches; and signal means and a compartment remotefrom said controls, said signal means connec'l ed between said source o1potential and said switches, another duplicate set of said signal meansadjacent said controls, and circuit means including a switch in saidremote compartment connecting said second signal means in shunt withsaid first signal means.

A grip control switchin the form of a handle comprising spring pressedcontact points having terminals, grip actuated depressing meanscomprising buttons and resilient hand gripping means engaging saidbuttons, said buttons engaging said spring pressed contact points, and afoot actuated switch comprising a casing having spaced conductorsthereon with terminals attached thereto, a spring conductor meansconnected to one of said conductors and resiliently held out of contactfrom the other conductor by means of a spring pressed button, incombination with resilient depressable means for forcing said springconductor means into contacting engagement with said second conductorIis also comprised within the scope of the invention. Y r

Now that I have disclosed my invention what I claim as new and usefulis:

1. Means for indicating excess pressure on a control member of a vehiclewhich is actuated by a body member of the operator of the vehicle,comprising a pressure operated switch on the conf trol member at thepoint where the body member engages the control member, said switchbeing normally open and closed by predetermined excess pressure of thebody member, a source of potential, and signal means connected incircuit with said switch.

2. A system for indicating excess gripping pressure on the hand controlmember of a vehicle which is actuated by the hand of the operator of thevehicle, comprising a pressure operated switch on the hand controlmember at the point where the hand engages the control member, saidswitch being norma-ily open and closed by predetermined excess pressureof the hand, a source of electric potential and signal means connectedin circuit with said switch.

3. A system for indicating excess pressure on the foot control of aVehicle which is actuated by the foot of the operator of the vehicle,comprising a pressure operated switch on the foot control at the pointwhere the foot engages the control member, said switch being normallyopen and closed by predetermined excess pressure of the foot, a sourceof electric potential and signal means connected in circuit with saidswitch.

4. A system for indicating excess pressure on the controls of anairplane by students, which are actuated by body members of the operatorof the airplane, comprising a pressure operated switch on the handcontrol of said aircraft, a pressure operated switch on the foot controlthereof, said switches located at the point on said hand and footcontrol where said body members engage the said controls, said switchesbeing no1'- mally open and closed by predetermined excess pressure ofthe body members, a source of electric potential connected to saidswitches and signal means connected between said source of potential andsaid switches.

5. A system for indicating excess pressure on the controls of anairplane by students which are actuated by body members of the operatorof the airplane, comprising a pressure operated switch on the handcontrol of said aircraft and pressure control switches on the pedalcontrol thereof, said switches of said hand and pedal controls 1ocatedat the point where said body members eng'age the said controls, saidswitches being normally open and closed by predetermined excess pressureof the body members, a source of electric potential connected to saidswitches and signal means connected between said source of potential andsaid switches, said signal means being located in the instructorscompartment, a duplicate set of said signal means adjacent saidcontrols, and circuit means including a switch connecting said secondsignal means in shunt with said first signal means.

CHARLES D. FATOR.

